Passenger aircraft generally require the performance of a variety of different tasks following the termination of a specific flight. Typically, the aircraft must be refueled, cargo must be unloaded, the cabin of the aircraft must be cleaned, the lavatory wastewater must be removed, and the galley must be re-provisioned, among other tasks. Consequently, during the performance of various ground service operations, a plurality of service vehicles may be maneuvering and/or positioned about the aircraft. A risk therefore exists that a service vehicle may inadvertently collide with a portion of the aircraft while moving about the aircraft. Such a collision may result in significant damage to the aircraft, requiring a costly and time-consuming repair before the aircraft is returned to service.
Since non-metallic composite components are increasingly replacing conventional metallic structures on passenger aircraft in order to reduce weight, the likelihood that significant damage may result from a ground service vehicle collision has accordingly increased. Moreover, selected portions of the aircraft are particularly susceptible to damage while the aircraft is positioned on the ground. For example, landing gear doors, cargo loading doors and passenger access doors are generally maintained in an open position during ground operations, and may be relatively easily damaged by even a minor collision. Even in cases where damage to the aircraft is less significant, relatively expensive flight delays are often incurred since a mandated inspection of the damaged area must be performed to determine if the damage is within allowable limits.
One conventional method of reducing the possibility of undesirable collisions is to increase the minimum clearance criteria around the aircraft for vehicle maneuver. For example, FIG. 1 is a top elevational view of an aircraft 100 being serviced by ground support vehicles in accordance with the prior art. The aircraft 100 includes a fuselage 102 having left and right forward doors 104, 106 positioned ahead of the wings 108, and a left rear door 110 positioned aft of the wings 108. In operation, a passenger loading bridge 114 passes an engine 112 positioned on the left wing 108 by a critical clearance 116 as it approaches the left forward door 104 to load and unload passengers. Similarly, a first galley truck 118 passes an engine 112 positioned on the right wing 108 by the critical clearance 116 as it approaches the right forward door 106, and a second galley truck 120 passes a trailing edge flap of the left wing 108 by the critical clearance 116 as it approaches the left rear door 110.
A conventional minimum clearance 116 between the wing 108 of an aircraft 100 and a galley truck 120 maneuvering behind it to dock at the left rear door 110 of the aircraft 100 is presently 3 feet. Due to the increased costs associated with the repair of composite wing structures, however, a conventional approach to reducing the possibility of collision is to increase this minimum clearance, for example, to 5 feet. Unfortunately, merely increasing the minimum clearance criteria around the aircraft may lead to additional difficulties and expense, and may render some equipment and facilities unusable. For example, door 110 may become out of reach by the second galley truck 120 approaching it from behind the wing trailing edge. Accordingly, improved systems and methods for reducing the possibility of collision between a ground service vehicle and an aircraft without increasing the minimum clearance criteria would be beneficial.